Mental lapses costing Blackhawks at inopportune times

Momentum is a funny thing in sports.

When you have it, it feels like nothing can go wrong.

But lose it and a slow trickle of issues often leads to an avalanche of problems.

The Blackhawks have experienced the latter far too often the past month, and it's led to a series of losses that may cost them a playoff spot.

"We're playing good teams," coach Jeremy Colliton said after practice Wednesday ahead of back-to-back games against the 20-6-2 Lightning. "They're pushing us, so we need to get better."

"We're learning right now how not to lose," Ian Mitchell said.

Sage words from a rookie D-man with only 28 games under his belt - because that's exactly what is happening.

The Hawks - who are far exceeding expectations - are out-executing and out-hustling more talented teams for good portions of these games they've blown.

But then they'll take a penalty. Which leads to a power-play goal.

Or they'll take their foot off the gas for just a few seconds at the wrong time. Which leads to a goal.

Then momentum flips and they can't get it back.

"Those things don't happen to the best teams," Mitchell said. "They don't have those little mental lapses for however long it might be. That's what's killing us. We're still learning from it."

A quick look at the carnage:

• Think back to the 6-5 loss to Columbus at the United Center March 11 when the Blue Jackets scored twice in the last three minutes. Those are the goals everyone remembers, but the momentum shifted after Matthew Highmore was whistled for interference. Columbus then scored on the power play to trim the Hawks' lead to 4-3.

• On March 4, the Hawks dominated Tampa Bay for two periods and led 2-0. But the Lightning struck twice in the first three minutes of the third - the first goal coming short-handed when Colliton said his team was playing at "70%."

• Three nights later, the Hawks led Tampa 3-0 but then surrendered 6 unanswered goals, 4 on the power play. Brandon Hagel was called for hooking 29 seconds after Pius Suter made it 3-0 at 3:11 of the second. Mitchell (hooking) and Mattias Janmark (high sticking) also took penalties that lead to PP goals.

• On Monday, the Hawks led Florida 3-1 after Hagel scored at 13:02 of the second period. One minute later, Alex DeBrincat was in the box for tripping. Fifty-six seconds after that, Aaron Ekblad scored to make it 3-2. Then came the botched faceoff in the offensive zone with the Hawks beginning a power play, which led to Aleksander Barkov's game-winner with 6:34 remaining.

There's 8 standings points that have gotten away from the 14-11-5 Hawks.

"Sometimes the team with more character wins," said defenseman Nikita Zadorov. "I feel like Florida is really good at it. They bear down, they keep playing their game no matter what the score was ... they got their momentum, scored a few goals on us and we didn't respond at the right time."

Learning how to respond comes with experience, something Florida, Tampa Bay and Carolina have in spades.

Meanwhile, the Hawks are filled with players who - like Mitchell said - are learning how not to lose. Hagel, Highmore, Mitchell, Suter, Philipp Kurashev, Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin and Lucas Carlsson are just getting their feet wet at this level. Remember, too, that Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome, David Kampf and DeBrincat have yet to play on a consistent winner.

Goalies Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban are up and down as well.

"It all comes from experience," Zadorov said. "We have a young team. Give those guys some credit - we have six, seven rookies and those guys are competing every day, working hard, and they do whatever the coach is asking them to do. We're doing great this year."

Let's not give a free pass to the veterans, though. Duncan Keith took what Colliton called a "terrible penalty" in the first period of Tuesday's loss, and Patrick Kane made mistakes at both ends of the ice on that costly short-handed tally.

Now it's about everyone getting on the same page and managing the game, especially when the Hawks are leading. It's a hurdle Colliton believes will eventually be cleared.

"This is great for our team, to be tested here," he said. "It's gonna make us better once we come through it. You've got to welcome adversity.

"If ... no, when we do respond and improve, that improvement can carry us straight through to the end."